Weed-puller.



M. G. HAYES.

WEED FULLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1912.

Patented June 24, 1913.

WITNESSES;

MORRIS o. HAYES, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

WEED-FULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t J 24, 1913 Application filedNovember 25, 1912. Serial No. 733,294.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS C. HAYES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of WVashington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weed-Pullers, of

which the following is a specification. This invention relates toimprovements in weed-extractors, and has for its object the provision ofan implement of simple construction that will pull weeds, includingtheir entire roots, from the soil in an effective manner.

In eradicating from the soil certain species of weed such as thedandelion which particularly infest lawns, it is a matter of some'difiiculty to extract the entire top root and someof the main lateralroots without leaving a suflicient remnant that will produce a newplant.

The present invention has for its further object the provision of adevice that will not cut the branching root-s of the weed but will drawthe rootlets together and compact the soil therewith and permit theentire plant to be withdrawn from the soil with complete andsatisfactory results.

The invention consists in the "novel construction of a weed pullerincluding a pair of relatively movable hinged jaws, and the adaptationand combination therewith of devices for actuating and manipulating theseveral parts, as will be fully described in the followingspecification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally setforth in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an implementembodying my invention, with a portion of the handle broken away. Figs.2 and 3 are pictorial views in side elevation of the same; illustratingthe manner of using the invention. A

Referring to said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the stemof a jaw-member of a weed puller of myinvention, 2 a socket for thereception of a handle 3, and 4 a plurality of sharp pointed prongs orblades integral with said stem and offset from and parallel with theextended longitudinal axis of said handle. I-Iingedly connected to saidstem, as by a pivoted pin 5, is a relatively movable aw-member providedwith prongs 6 oppositely corresponding to prongs 4 and arrangedsymmetrically upon 95 the opposite side of said handle axis. Saidmovable jaw-member is extended laterally to afford a treadle-lever 7controlling the movement of said prongs 6. Said treadle-lever mayterminate in a horizontally flattened extremity 8 and its weight issufiicient to overbalance the opposite end bearing said prongs 6 and isadapted ordinarily to rest upon the shoulder 9 of the first mentionedjaw-memher and maintain said prongs 6 normally in parallel with thecorresponding .prongs 4. In the illustrated embodiment said prongs arepositioned atthe corners of -an' area square in cross-section and whenintruded into the earth about a weed, as shown in Fig. 2, as by pressingdownwardly upon the handle assisted, if desired, by the foot of theoperator pressing upon the level- 7, will inclose a straight-sidedcolumn of soil including the plant to be-removed. With the foot of theoperator restin upon the extremity of the treadle-lever, t e handle isthen inclined toward said lever, as shown in Fig. 3, causing acorresponding converging inclination of the lower extremities of theprongs 4 toward the prongs 6 and compression of the lower portion ofsaid contained" column of earth compactin the same about the rootlets ofthe plant. ontinued inclination of the handle in the same directionresults in further packing the inclosed earth until the resistance tocompression becomes suflicient to prevent further relative movement ofthe jaw-members whereupon the entire structure islifted with theinclosed soil and weed. With the lever extremity 8 as a fulcrum, the jaw-members are thus elevated in an arcuate path clear of the groundlevel with a single movement of the handle 3. The roots of the inclosedweed are drawn together into the restricted area bounded by theprongs-and the downwardly converging relation of the respective groupsof prongs prevents the included earth and plant from being releaseduntil withdrawn from the soil. When clear of the ground, the handle maybe straightened to its normal vertical position while the weight of saidtreadle-lever will cause the jaw-members to separate and the column ofearth with its contained weed will be deposited upon the ground and thedevice he in condition to repeat the operation.

The implement is light in weight and extremely simple in constructionand operation. In entering the ground about a weed, it does not cut orbreak its branching roots but succeeds in causingall the main-roots tobe gathered to ether and removed thus preventing a furt or growththerefrom;

While I have described my invention with some particularity, I do notwish to be confined to the precise details of construction illustrated,as obviously various changes and modifications ofparts may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing its advanta es.

Having escribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters- Patent of the United States, is

1. In a weed-puller, a 'aw-Inember provided with a handle an a pluralityof prongs in parallel oflset relation thereto, another jaw-memberpivotally connected to said first-named jaw-member and provided with aplurality of prongs, a lever integrally connected to the second namedjaw-member extending in rectangular directions relative to the prongsintegral therewith and also oeaeoe when inoperative extending inrectangular directions relative to said handle.

2. In a weed-puller, the combination of a jaw-member includin a shank, ahandle connected to said shan a pair of prongs offset and in arallelaxial allnement with said handle an affording a protruding shoulder,another jaw-member pivotally connected to said shank rovided with a pairof prongs oppositely disposed relative to said first named prongs, alever integrally connected to the second named jaw extending inrectangular directions relative to the prongs integral therewith andadapted to rest upon said shoulder to limit theextent of separation ofsaid jaws.

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 16th day of November, 1912.

MORRIS. o. AYES.

Witnesses HORACE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

